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Java Reflection - Class.getEnclosingClass() Examples

Java Reflection Java Java API 

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Class:

java.lang.Class

java.lang.Objectjava.lang.Objectjava.lang.Classjava.lang.Classjava.io.SerializableSerializablejava.lang.reflect.GenericDeclarationGenericDeclarationjava.lang.reflect.TypeTypejava.lang.reflect.AnnotatedElementAnnotatedElementLogicBig

Method:

public Class<?> getEnclosingClass()
                           throws SecurityException
Returns:
the immediately enclosing class of the underlying class


Examples


package com.logicbig.example.clazz;

public class GetEnclosingClassExample {

    public static void main(String... args) {
        Class<MyClass> c = MyClass.class;
        Class<?> enclosingClass = c.getEnclosingClass();
        System.out.println(enclosingClass);
    }

    private static class MyClass {}
}

Output

class com.logicbig.example.clazz.GetEnclosingClassExample




package com.logicbig.example.clazz;

public class GetEnclosingClassExample2 {

    public static void main(String... args) {
        Class<GetEnclosingClassExample2> c = GetEnclosingClassExample2.class;
        System.out.println(c.getEnclosingClass());
    }
}

Output

null




This example also shows difference between getEnclosingClass() and getDeclaringClass() for an anonymous class

package com.logicbig.example.clazz;

public class GetEnclosingClassExample3 {

    public static void main(String... args) {
        //an anonymous class
        new Object() {
            {
                Class<? extends Object> c = this.getClass();
                System.out.println("enclosing: " + c.getEnclosingClass());
                System.out.println("declaring: " + c.getDeclaringClass());
            }
        };

    }
}

Output

enclosing: class com.logicbig.example.clazz.GetEnclosingClassExample3
declaring: null




package com.logicbig.example.clazz;

import java.io.Serializable;

public class GetEnclosingClassExample4 {

    public static void main(String... args) {
        //another anonymous class
        Serializable s = new Serializable() {};
        Class<? extends Serializable> c = s.getClass();
        System.out.println(c.getEnclosingClass());
        System.out.println(c.getDeclaringClass());
    }
}

Output

class com.logicbig.example.clazz.GetEnclosingClassExample4
null

See Also